The Flaming Lady is an ART HOUSE, an inspirational and welcoming place for creative discovery, free thought, and revelation. It endeavours to tell stories, spark up discussion and connect people all under one small crooked roof.
It has arisen from a desire to address the inequality in the arts, whilst keeping the anarchic flame and creative spirit of Hay-on-Wye burning along with the legacy of King Richard Booth who made it the world’s first Book Town.
Artfully set within a tiny iconic building in Hay-on-Wye, the Flaming Lady is a must visit immersive sanctuary. It’s a place to absorb art, find creative treasures, browse inspiring books on film, art and performance and step outside of your everyday world.
Our Quest
To champion female artists
In response to the current stark inequality of representation of creative women within the Art World, the Flaming Lady has a mission to particularly champion female artists. The multi-tiered impactful gallery and art shop presents exciting, predominantly female artists' work across the mediums.
To keep the legacy and spirit of Richard Booth alive
King Richard is not only one of the inspirations behind the Flaming Lady concept, both he and his motivational 'battle plans' were also the inspiration behind our Kingdom Project – which also operates out of the Flaming Lady.
Richard named his successor during one of the Kingdom Project meetings and asked us to work together to protect and continue his legacy. His successor, the new King of Hay honoured us by opening the Flaming Lady 2020. Appearing for the first time in his fabulous new crown (which is on display in the Flaming Lady) made by King Richard's great-niece and metal sculptor Jess Gill.
Richard Booth was a visionary whose legacy is hugely significant; he is credited for turning what was an unremarkable border town into a place that has a world-renowned reputation as a town of books and as a place of creativity and free thought. On April Fools' Day in 1977 Richard Booth marched down the street in Hay and declared Hay to be an independent sovereign state and himself the king of it. It was a declaration against the corporate and against bureaucracy, a celebration of cohesive independence that triumphs diversity and difference.
Flaming Ladies – to celebrate incredible women of Hay
Working with local Historian and Artist Mari Fford, we are striving to uncover and retell the stories of the extraordinary and mostly forgotten historic female icons of the area – from past and also present times.
To be a connective creative hub
The Flaming Lady is also an information point to promote selected local culture, arts events, exhibitions and independent suppliers of note. The aim is to support and creatively empower the local community, generating hope and potential in this unchartered time of unprecedented enforced isolation and destabilisation.
The Flaming Lady has been curated and founded by International Creative Director and Producer Ami Cadillac and her partner Robert Haynes (Art Director in Film).
